Saturday, 31 October 2009

So this year we had a Princess and Count Dracula go a hauntin'! Both costumes requiring Mum's attention; Cinderella needed a hairdo and makeup and Count Dracula needed face painting. Neither of which Mum does with any skill or expertise. I tried. They were happy.Poor Nikolas kept hearing; "Don't look down" (or it would leave blood all over his collars), "Don't touch your face" all night long. But given the option to remove the face paint, he declined. Several times. He chose his costume this year and enjoyed it! Mia could not be pursuaded into anything else... She was terrified of Nikolas, didn't like him being too close to her.

We took G-pa out to Amelia to Morefield Mine despite the drizzle. We anticipated mud and mess but perhaps not quite to the extent that we faced. Mia was happy with her little shovel and bucket. Everything in her screen went into her "goodies to save" bag. For a while. Then she got bored with that and fortunately Grandpa had little interest in mining so kept his grand daughter occupied. Nikolas was a good little miner. I would load up his screen for him and he'd sift, filter, dig, sort the contents. He too has quite a collection of "stuff". I quite enjoyed myself; got into the rhythm of it and could have continued for quite some time were it not for the backache of leaving over. We had a grand old time though!

Nikolas did well at day one of this weekends meet! He improved his 25 yd freestyle time. And he swam the 50yd backstroke for the first time ever. I think he was nervous about the turn. I was nervous about a DQ. Fortunately, he did fine with the turn; he just kept on swimming on his back until he hit both walls (with his head) thus eliminating the possibility of a DQ! He's getting the hang of these meets down pat!

Wednesday, 28 October 2009

This evening, after dinner (and pumpkin pie dessert), we carved our pumpkins. Nikolas escorted the chosen few inside and we gathered around the kitchen island. It's probably the most involved that Mia has been in this process. The look on her face as she reached into the pumpkin and pulled out a handful of guts was precious. She really, thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing, from beginning to end. Nikolas has been pulling slimy pumpkin guts for ages now, in the short span of his life. It was old hat to him. He kindly scooted over to Mia's stool and showed his little sister just what to do.

Both kids are sportin' made to order pumpkins this year. Mia has a face, done to her exact specifications. Dad presented the questions and she specified how she wanted each facial feature to appear. Once said part was constructed, her job was to "pull the plug". Even noses were matched for likeness. Nikolas liked the picture of Darth Vadar I brought down from the collection I'd amassed of contemplatable carvings. Of course! It is by far the most complicated carving I've done. He showered while I pulled out the linolium carving tools and went to work. He has yet to see the finished product, but that is his pumpkin.

Once again, I have fallen for Fall, for Autumn. Is it just me or have the colors been spectacular this year? I don't remember such vivid orange and yellow or vibrant reds as we've had lately. Every time we get in the car (we no longer have anywhere to walk to really) I just want to pull over and capture the color. Poor Mia has suffered greatest from this need to click the shutter...

Why? Would somebody, anybody, please explain to me why it is that my children feel the need to wrap their top lip around their top teeth and call that a smile? Is it something to do with this time of year and delutions that a pumpkin smile is replicated? It drives me bonkers! I have tried requesting a Princess Smile from Mia, I have tried requesting a relaxed smile, I have blown raspberried at them from behind the lense to entice laughter. All to NO avail! UGH! And not just one of them, both of them! Nikolas doesn't even have the two front teeth to bare to the world and yet I still get the same type of look from him... I give up! It's them, it's what they do now and I need to embrace it and move on. Right? Right...

Going's on's? What is going on around these parts lately? Well, we've been busy, that much I know. Just what has kept us so busy is not to concrete. Let's see;

- Tiger Cubs meeting at our house last night while Moo and I camped out in our bed finishing the "Lady and the Tramp" movie which we began at the last meeting. Which only she remembered we hadn't finished. Which she told me at the end that "it wasn't so scary cos they all lived happy ever in the end, right Mum?" Lovely interpretation with her new favorite close to every sentance; right Mum?

- Mia and I waited in line for just about 3 hours on Monday to get the H1N1 vacinations from the Henrico Public Health clinic. The clinic opened at 8am and the local news had advertised the free shots on Sunday night. We didn't arrive until 10 past 8 and the line was already about 200 deep. We had some other little girls around us who all banded together and kept each other fairly occupied; books were shared and exchanged, snacks were shared and parental spirits were tried. We were among the last 45 or so to receive the shot before depleting the clinic for the week.

- Monday afternoon Mia's frog arrived. Nikolas had some money to spend and invested in a tadpole. We waited until after summer vacation to send away for the amphibitous experiment. Our see through tadpole, named Ribbit, has grown and evolved into a little frog. Well, Michael thought it would like some company. So while ordering Ribbit age appropriate food, feels like another child, he ordered Mia a frog. It's name is Plog. Don't ask.

- While on the topic of "pets", I could also mention that we have another caterpillar. Cat R. Pillar is still in it's chrysalis phase and was exchanged for another catepillar. This critter was a giant, green "the size of Daddy's thumb". Hours after arriving in his (or her) jar, he (or she) was already spinning silk to for it's cocoon. This time twigs were strategically placed so that the "proper" cocoon spinning could occur, per the human. By the time Michael and I went to bed, it's silky home was complete. How uncanny is it that the child manages to find these things that overnight do what it is he wants them too? Now, if only they would take it one step further and emerge from the cocoon... BTW, this latest "pet" is named Fat R. Pillar. In case you were wondering.

Saturday, 17 October 2009

The weather around here has been foul; rainy, cold and just plain ol' blah. Not conducive to birthday celebrations. Necessary for our lakes and accentuation of fall color but not for birthday celebrations. Though not sunny, fortunately, it didn't interfere with our plans. Not today any way. Tomorrow is another story...

First things first, presents! After breakfast, Nikolas opened all his cards and presents. All the while wearing a three tiered birthday hat. A new addition to our birthday traditions. He had been eyeing a K'nex dueling coaster at CostCo which was his big gift of the day. Mia let her super top secret Webkins presents be known long before the wrapping paper was ripped into but he still had a good time with his new acquisitions. And lots of cards with currency. He called Jonathan and Moriah's check a bill which was awfully cute.

Next item on the agenda, the building of the racing roller coaster toy... Yes, well, when the box said ages 9+ they meant it. Even the almost 40 and 67 ages had a difficult time with the project. Construction plodded along in the living room rather silently once the birthday boys mother got the hang of her task at hand. Completed in time for the birthday boy to race the red and yellow cars a few times before heading to bed.

We celebrated my Dad's retirement today. Nikolas very graciously shared his day with his grandfather. We went out for a dim sum lunch bringing our presents and candles for the desserts with us. 39 years of hard work behind him. Amazing. Nobody stays with a single company for that long these days. He's a dedicated man, my father. I hope he's happy and that he enjoys all the fruits of his labor!

Our neighborhood at large has an annual fall celebration which again fell on Nikolas' birthday this year, as it did last year. It was brutally cold by the lake. We had our layers and coats on but it was still chilly. The big and little kids all enjoyed their cotton candy. The kids played on the inflatables and added yet more pumpkins to our collection. We now have a dozen pumpkins sitting on our front steps...

Dinner of the birthday boy's choosing; king crab legs, corn bread and broccoli. Initially he wanted Maggiano's but once faced with the proposal of his favorite crustacean, it was a no brainer! We had been teasing him about the lack of birthday cake as he didn't know that Granny and I had procured an icecream cake yesterday. He was not thrilled with the left over piece of corn bread with a candle in it that his Dad put in front of him... But was quickly perked by the ice cream cake. With candles that re-lit themselves. He blew and blew and blew. He didn't give up! Not until Dad stuck the candles in a cup of water!

It was a lovely day full of celebration and fun!

On Wednesday I took my parents and Mia out to Monticello. Again, not warm but the rain stayed away long enough that we could enjoy our little excursion. Mia was excellant during the house tour. I whispered in her ear all the things we'd talked about on our kids tour a few months back. The grounds are just specatular! It's rather like Lewis Ginter, not matter when you come, there is something of interest. The WrinkLee's did deadbug with their only granddaughter on the steps of the house! It was entertaining! We stopped at the Discovery on our way out and tried out the polygraph. Ah Kong wrote a very nice letter for Nikolas for his birthday.

Sunday, 11 October 2009

Saturday was Nikolas' first NOVA swim meet. NOVA is the name of the swim club he now swims for. His usual coach was teaching lessons so the lady who taught the private breaststroke clinic lessons was supervisor of the Novice Bronze swimmers. He warmed up and checked in with her. He was sportin' red, white and blue suit and red cap of the team. Lane 5 for his 25 yard freestyle event, unseeded as he hasn't raced in a yard pool. He came in 3rd in his heat, who knows what time and place overall. We're still waiting for the official info to be posted. It's quite different from the summer meets and I think he was quite nervous. But he had a great race! The best freestyle stroke I've seen him do. From behind the camera lense... The preference from the coach had been for him not to be sky diving from the block but as all the other kids in his heat were up there, he thought he'd join them!

I went to a really cool class at the scrapbook store that afternoon, though tedious. We cut lots of very little strips and inked EVERY thing! I didn't have my building permit but we constructed a haunted house. I'll have to take a picture and post it once the pictures have been taken and inserted.

In my absence, Michael took the kids to get fitted for and buy new shoes. Mia has awefully skinny, narrow feet and needs a different shoe than Target provides. Nikolas just beats his shoes to death (like most boys, I'm sure) and needed replacements. When asked what kind of shoe he wanted by his Daddy he answered Nike, he had to have Nike. When queried why that particular brand the reply was "they make me run faster". So Nike's it is!

Today we were supposed to go up to my sister's to celebrate my Dad's retirement but plans fell through as her little fellow is sick. Disappointed as we were, we'd wrapped all the presents that we'd carefully purchased, bought a cake, looked forward to playing with cousins, our alternative plans were great too! A spontaneous trip to Carters Mountain to go apple picking. It was a good thing we left when we did and were among the first to arrive as there were lines of cars up the mountain as we were heading out at 11:00am. 30 pounds of 2 different kinds of apples in 3 bags, a dozen apple donuts, 2 apple slushies and a hayride later! The weather was perfect, not too cold but not too warm. It wasn't quite crisp but close.

A quick stop at the Clothier at Miche Tavern to visit our friend Mrs. Glo who was working in the Smith Shop today. No matter, didn't stop Dad from trying on a thing or two. We pushed on to our favorite BBQ place afterwards for lunch, Blue Ridge Pig. It was only an extra 30 minutes down the road to why not? The PBJ's in the cooler paled in comparison to the idea of the BEST potato salad, baked beans and pulled pork sandwiches in the region. Yum! We all smelled of smoke for the rest of the day but it was worth the gastronomic joy!

Ah! Japanese Maple! My favorite tree. Especially the red ones. every house we've had, we've put one in. And every time, we've had to leave it behind. Except for this one. This house came with one in the front yard, by the mail box. But it's a blah maple of little color or esthetic pleasure. Maybe someday...

Our front porch is very festive! As is our little-big girl as she flies off the stairs. She is all about alternative movement these days. Walking is mundane. Running, jumping, skipping, anything but walking. The best is to jump while holding somebody's hand, virtually dislocating your shoulder...

Monday, 05 October 2009

Sunday, 04 October 2009

We had a fabulous morning out this fine morn! We went bright and early, for us, for a Sunday, to a new Pumpkin Patch. It's a new tradition. Or, more like, an old tradition at a new location. Although, come to think of it, I don't think we all went to a pumpkin patch together last year... Any way, we were the first customers to arrive and we had the whole patch to ourselves. We trundled out to the scarecrow laden patch and careful hand selected our own perfect, pumpkins. Mia had the littlest pumpkin whilst Nikolas found the coolest, tall, skinny pumpkin, just like him! We were a tad TOO early for the hayride but no matter, we had a blast with the hay maze and haystack. And all we paid was given or take $35! For two bigger size pumpkins, 3 pie pumpkins, a spaghetti squash and Nikolas' tall, skinny one. Can't argue with that.

Today is the annual Arts Around the Lake event at UofR. We've been attending this tradition since we were here the first time around. It's good for the kids culturally too. We never buy anything but we love to ooh and aah over other people's creations. I secretly think to myself, well shucks! I can do that. I can do that too! What' so special, $350 special, about that? And yet, it is special.

And a special shout out goes to Granny, it's her birthday! Happy Birthday Granny! We hope you have had a wonderful day and we're looking forward to celebrating with you when you arrive in our part of the world!

Saturday, 03 October 2009

The activities of fall are underway! We went to one of our local nurseries today where they had fall activities for the kids. They planted Pansies in Pumpkins and fed and walked some baby Alpacas. Mia's favorite activity of the day today was feeding and walking Skipper, the brown baby Alpaca. She thanked me three times for taking her.

Nikolas and I went to see the Toy Story double feature this afternoon. Sitting there wearing our 3D glasses, reaching into the popcorn bag wtih my little man, was special. It's not often I have time alone with him. It's amazing what they can do with movies these days! The 3D depth was just stunning.